Li Shentong understood Li Gang's meaning: the two were mutually attracted, so why not help them be together? Qin Mu's offhand remark, "A woman three years older is like a golden brick," had greatly pleased him. Qin Mu's age was something he had previously worried about, but Qin Mu's mature demeanor had made him subconsciously overlook it.
“Ahem! What this young man said earlier is quite right, and what the Duke said makes sense too. Of course, the princess’s marriage is her own decision.” Gongshu Pan, who hadn’t said much, coughed twice.
His sudden shift in attitude towards Qin Mu drew curious glances from everyone else.
Qin Mu was taken aback, but he knew his opponent couldn't possibly be helping him. He narrowed his eyes slightly, looked over, and stared at him as he continued speaking.
Sure enough, Gongshu Pan suddenly changed his tone and uttered the classic "But!"
"But! The princess is of noble status, so we must leave the best for her to choose from!"
"Heh! You think you're the best? There are plenty of men in Chang'an, or even the whole world, who want to marry a princess! Why not gather them together for a competition?" Wang Quan sneered.
"Shut up!" a clear voice rang out.
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Princess Changning walk in with murderous eyes and a gloomy expression.
Princess Changning walked into the hall, coldly surveying the Wang and Gongshu families, and said with a slight parting of her red lips, "When did it become the business of outsiders to decide my marriage?"
This statement was clearly directed at the Wang and Gongshu families, causing them to furrow their brows slightly.
His refusal was palpable, and Gongshu Pan clenched his fists tightly.
Being rejected like this after proposing marriage is indeed very disrespectful. Even Li Shentong's expression changed slightly, but when he looked at his daughter, his eyes were full of love.
"Ahem! Ladies and gentlemen, my daughter is arrogant and unruly; it is my fault for not disciplining her properly! However, my whole family supports her wishes, so please go back!" Li Shentong said apologetically, cupping his hands in a gesture of respect.
"Hehe! It was our presumption. We'll take our leave now!" Wang Gui said with a smile as he stood up.
After Wang Gui finished speaking, Wang Ji also stood up, smiled and nodded, cupped his hands in a salute, and softly said, "Farewell!"
Wang Quan, of course, had no reason to stay, and glanced at Qin Mu with displeasure.
"Be filial and virtuous, escort the prince to the palace!" Li Shentong instructed with a smile.
"yes!"
"We understand that the Duke dotes on his daughter, so we'll take our leave!" As soon as the Wang family left, Gongshu Yu also stood up, then pulled his son, who was still somewhat unwilling.
Qin Xian and Qin Yue naturally left together. When Qin Yue left, he nodded slightly and smiled at Qin Mu.
"We'll take our leave too!" Li Gang said with a smile as he stood up.
"Well, today is not a good day to talk business. Let's get together another day," Li Shentong said with a smile.
Qin Mu understood this as well. After all, he had just rejected others, and if he stayed, it would be too obvious that he would offend them. Although everyone knew the truth about some things, they still had to consider them when doing them.
“You…” Princess Changning walked to Qin Mu’s side, looking at him with a wronged expression. She wanted to say something, but was too embarrassed, since both families’ elders were present.
"I'll head back now! I'll come back another day," Qin Mu said with a smile.
Both understood each other's meaning and indicated that they were not angry. Princess Changning felt much better immediately, a smile appeared on her face, and she nodded gently to step aside.
After leaving the Prince's residence, the other two families had not yet left. They only started the carriage when they saw Qin Mu and his group appear.
"That's strange! Why would the Wang family come to propose marriage?" Qin Qiong said with some doubt.
“The Gongshu family might be a coincidence, but the Wang family definitely wouldn’t be. They’re probably targeting your family. Shubao, could you think about whether you have any grudges against them?” Li Gang reminded him.
"Thank you for the reminder, Lord Li, but I don't think I've offended the Wang family," Qin Qiong said, frowning slightly.
"Then it's just me. The three members of the Wang family have some conflicts with me," Qin Mu said after thinking for a moment.
“That’s not the main point. I suspect the Wang family mainly wants to establish a connection with the Li family. Although the Wang family has remained powerful in recent years, with the passing of the great Confucian scholar Wang Tong and Wang Ji’s wandering life, the Wang family has inevitably declined,” Li Gang said, stroking his beard.
"So they want to use marriage as a means of alliance," Qin Mu said. He was very unhappy. He didn't care what methods the Wang family used, but if it involved him, then it was unacceptable.
"Yes! That's the most likely possibility," Qin Qiong nodded.
"You don't need to worry about it. Since the Li family didn't agree today, and the Li family's little girl has feelings for you, then the matter is settled. We can just go another day," Li Gang comforted him.
"It's just too much trouble for you, teacher," Qin Mu said gratefully.
“It’s alright! I want your two nephews to come to the Six Doors and do some work. What do you think?” Li Gang waved his hand slightly.
"I couldn't be happier! There are many in the Six Doors who can use knives, but very few who can use pens." Qin Mu happily agreed.
"You don't need to take too much care of them. Just let them be minor officials. My main purpose is to let them experience the hardships of life and the dangers of society."
"Disciple understands!"
"Hmm!" Li Gang nodded in satisfaction. He was telling the truth. His two grandsons were reaching adulthood and it was time for them to take up official positions. So he wanted to send them to the Six Doors for an internship first. The main reason was that he understood the Six Doors. Its structure was simple and there weren't many troublesome old foxes around.
After escorting Li Gang home, Qin Mu had just arrived at his own doorstep when the gatekeeper told him that a friend was waiting for him.
Upon hearing this, Qin Mu smiled slightly, quickened his pace, and went inside. He had already guessed who the visitor was.
As expected, Qin Yue was cheering when he saw Qin Mu, so he stood up with a smile and came to greet him.
"Haha! I was planning to give you a surprise, but who knew we'd meet under those circumstances," Qin Yue said with a laugh.
"When did you arrive?" Qin Mu asked, pulling Qin Yue down to sit.
"I've only been here three days! I ran into the Gongshu family on the way, and they invited my second uncle to act as matchmaker, which he accepted. I never expected it to be such a coincidence," Qin Yue explained with a smile, then asked with a mischievous grin, "Is that princess your sweetheart?"
"Hehe! That's right!" Since he was a young man and a friend, there was nothing to hide, so Qin Mu readily admitted it.
"Yes! It really is...beautiful!"
"What brings you to Chang'an this time?"
"Study abroad! To see what the spring examinations are like!"
"Do you have a place to stay? If you haven't decided yet, you can stay here with me," Qin Mu asked again.
"No need to trouble yourself, I have a place to stay in Chang'an, but this chair of yours is quite comfortable," Qin Yue said with a smile.
"This is homemade. I'll have someone send you a set," Qin Mu said generously.
"Okay!" Qin Yue accepted with a smile without being polite.
…………
There will be another chapter later. I originally wanted to combine the four thousand words into one, but I can't! I don't want to be called a "one-chapter beast." I haven't been updating frequently lately because I've been busy with work. I'll be updating more frequently in the second half of the month. Thank you all for your support!
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